I Can't Keep Anything Up! Tips for Building Habits Starting with Excitement

Long time no see. It seems it has been a full four months since I last wrote anything substantial.
Consistency is truly difficult, isn't it!!!

The reason I returned is that while I was feeling frustrated about not being able to write for so long, I had the opportunity to see a summary of a book called
Atomic Habits.

According to that summary, it seems that the key to maintaining a habit isn't motivation, but rather when it becomes a part of your identity.

Are habits and identity connected?

I talked to GPT about my identity.
I want to make reading books and writing articles a habit, but once I let go, it takes a long time to get back into it.
GPT suggested the identity of "someone who can always come back even if they don't keep it up," but that didn't really resonate with me.
I don't want to just come back; I want to make it a habit.
Perhaps the reason I still can't keep it up is that it's closer to a longing for something I don't have, like "someone who wants to read books" or "someone who wants to write."

Furthermore, I have strongly labeled myself as "someone who can't keep anything up." I think of this as my true identity.
That's why when a habit doesn't stick, I can't forgive myself and I become unable to move.

And apparently, identity isbuilt by the accumulation of small habits.
That makes sense, doesn't it?
Because identity can only be born from one's own experiences.

Small experiments to avoid pushing yourself too hard

Don't you often see things like "habits that will turn your life around"?
Effective use of time, task management.
Waking up early, drinking hot water, exercising, doing chores, journaling...

I tried this so-called "template life" too.
Because I wanted my life to go well so badly.
But it didn't feel like my life was turning around at all. If anything, it became painful.
Even now, when I remember it, I only recall the feeling of it being tough.

In the end, I think I was pushing myself too hard. I didn't even feel comfortable with the version of myself that was trying so hard.

As things started to spiral in a bad direction, I became unable to continue the template life.

Before I knew it, my body had also become flabby. Even though I started exercising because I hated that body.
Every time I see my stomach in the mirror, I feel disappointed, as if it shows the version of me that couldn't try hard enough.

On the other hand, I realized that I actually felt quite comfortable being someone who enjoys delicious food and can eat what they want.

Could it be that I can't work hard without a sense of comfort...?

For me, comfort is the feeling of "This is fun!" or "Exciting!!"
And as the book title suggested, habit formation requires a little bit of "compound interest" that makes you want to do it.

I want to achieve both taking care of my body and valuing comfort.
To do that, I need to think of habits that I can enjoy doing.

So, I'm going to start an experiment from here.

6 tasks. It's okay if you can do just one.

I'm going to try for the next month to see how many tasks I can turn into habits.

The rules I made are simple.
"Every day, it's okay if you can do just one of the 6 tasks."
"Include tasks that make you want to do them a little bit."

• Do the dishes while listening to favorite music or watching YouTube

• If reading doesn't excite you within 5 minutes, it's okay to stop

• Try writing down the parts of the book that excited you

• Spend 5 minutes basking in the sun, even if it's just on the balcony

• Write a diary while chatting with GPT

• Do a little stretching before bed using your favorite items

Finally, a little charm for days when you couldn't do anything at all.
On days when you couldn't do anything, cherish it as a rest day.

To my future self, and to anyone else struggling with the same thing

A month from now, I wonder if I'll be able to forgive myself for being someone who can come back even after failing.
I wonder what kind of habits will remain.
I hope to be able to write about those records in the future as well.

When habits don't stick, instead of forcing yourself to work hard, try adding elements that make you excited.
In my case, it's music or my favorite items. For others, it might be supporting their favorite idol or having sweets.
Simply thinking about things that make you excited is exciting in itself, isn't it!

What is your identity?
Why not start by designing exciting habits that you can continue naturally, together with me?

May this record become a love letter to my future self.